Redeeming Through the Radio

By Heather Harrison, Lifeword Writer

In a recent interview with Pastor Pete Etabag, it is obvious that Jesus Christ is the center of his life and making Him known is his life’s quest.

When Pastor Pete met Lifeword missionary Travis Moore in 1975, shortly after becoming a believer himself, he never guessed serving God in the Philippines through technology would be the story of the rest of his life. However, if you talk with Pete, it won’t be long before “radio transmitters” come up in the conversation.

Living in the Philippines, he travels by boat to the various islands to install and maintain radio transmitters. He is a “tech guy,” but don’t think for a minute that tech guys aren’t missionaries.

Pete has taken his abilities, laid them before the Lord and watched God do what only God can do — bring people into His kingdom through a simple radio. 

In many of the places he serves, there is little access to biblical teaching and other resources many in the US take for granted. Pastors teach on the radio, in addition to leading their own congregations, which allows those in harder-to-reach areas to hear the message. Pete not only installs radio transmitters, he also trains and mentors local technicians to service them. This technology has resulted in countless Filipinos hearing the message of a God who loves them and a Savior who died for them.

South Catabato, a province on the island of Mindanao, is one of the areas in the Philippines where Pete has been working. He, along with missionary Jehosua de los Santos, first installed a transmitter for the Blaan Tribe. Jehosua is the son of Genaro de los Santos, who first started the Tribal Mission work there. Pastor Pete had promised Genaro before his death that he would install a radio transmitter there. Now his son, Jehosua is not only seeing that promise realized, he is also taking part in the ongoing work to reach more tribes. Pete has helped train and equip Jehosua, who now acts as the tribal coordinator for the Tribal ministry of South Cotabato in place of his father, to operate and maintain the technology of the existing transmitters. Jehosua travels to many of these areas, often walking many miles, planting missions and churches. The local FM radio will benefit his work there to reach those in neglected and remote villages. Lifeword assists him in the evangelization and discipleship of the Tribal Ministry through Media Technology. Pete also meets with Jehosua and his team once a month to further encourage and train them in ministry.

Pete is currently preparing a 150-watts transmitter for the next tribe in South Catabato — the T’boli Tribe. Please continue to pray for Pastor Pete, Jehosua and his team as they have been working to add to the 10 languages already being produced there and are working to add radio transmitters and stations to the current 45 operating radio stations.

Pastor Pete and his faithfulness to what God is doing in the Philippines is a vivid picture that when we lay our abilities, gifts and resources before the Lord, He will accomplish His purposes in and through us. What a gift to be involved in God’s work and watch Him do what only He can do — draw others into His kingdom through unexpected means, including the radio.

Team Lifeword Info

We want to send a big thank you to all who participated in Lifeword Sunday 2022! It was an amazing time of prayer and celebration among our churches about all God is doing through Lifeword to share gospel around the world!

Please pray for the potential of new programming in the Bengali language of India and the Miskito language of Central America and for our team in Lebanon as they are creating and sharing content on multiple social and media platforms to reach and engage young people and build personal relationships with them that are ultimately bringing them into the local church.

Praise God that full licensing has been granted for a radio station in the capital of Peru. Also for the new Lifeword show, “Storybook Homes,” which launched in the US earlier this month. This show relates home improvement to the restoration offered in Jesus Christ.